Tzatziki sauce cucumber substitute!

I am a health nut, and I love everything that goes into Tzatziki sauce except one thing: cucumber! I was thinking that red bell pepper might be a good substitute for this. What do you guys think? Any other suggestions?

If you finely grate it , it has less water than a cucumber and the texture is not bad at all. I put zucchini in my salads just because it's denser than a cucumber.

Slice your zucchini is half and put them on a grill , drizzle with olive oil, splash of lemon juice , S & P ...heaven ! (You might as well slice a tomato while your at it) Don't have a grill ? Toss them on a sheet pan, oven, broil for a few minutes, lovely.

I am sure there are many things that can go in it....I was trying to match your veggie as close as I could.

Haha, I love your enthusiasm. Fortunately for me, I am cooking stuffed peppers, so your food ideas are only fueling my appetite that is soon to be satisfied! I think I'll split the tzatziki batch into two. I'll try one half with your zucchini idea and the other half with a pepper! Thanks for the help .

What is it about the cucumber that you don't like? Sometimes if it's cut into big chunks I don't like it either. Usually I grate it finely, toss in some salt and leave it on a sieve. 15minutes later you can ring out a lot of the water so that it doesn't make your tzatziki liquidy. I can't think of anything that car actually replace cucumber, it's funny. Maybe some apple? Or better yet, celery.

What is it about the cucumber that you don't like? Sometimes if it's cut into big chunks I don't like it either. Usually I grate it finely, toss in some salt and leave it on a sieve. 15minutes later you can ring out a lot of the water so that it doesn't make your tzatziki liquidy. I can't think of anything that car actually replace cucumber, it's funny. Maybe some apple? Or better yet, celery.

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Cucumber, for whatever reason, just tastes awful to me. I have equated it to people who really hate cilantro. I have a friend who says if there is the smallest bit of cilantro in a dish, she can't eat it. That is how I am with cucumbers. Seriously, if I have a trace of cucumber on a bugger(even if someone put a cucumber slice on top and removed it), I'll taste it and can't eat it haha.

Apple or celery might be kind of interesting. The bagged Dole celery at my store is crisp and refreshing but not very robust; however, the celery sold by the stalk is peppery and especially good for soups. I can imagine a more peppery celery being quite good in a tzatziki sauce!

Since Tzatiziki is made up of Greek Yogurt with garlic, dill and mint, salt and black pepper ... perhaps, if you wish to leave out the cucumber -- one can.

Zucchini is another alternative ...

Another alternative could be: Tyrosalata:

Feta cheese

olive oil

dried chili pepper finely chopped

lemon juice

bell red pepper

bell green pepper

oregano black pepper

Margcata.

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Feta cheese is a wonderful idea. That way I can still stick to that greekish theme(though to be honest, I was going to make a gyro with homemade whole wheat tortillas to cut carbs--i'm pathetic). And you have now inspired me to look up tyrosalata because i'm not sure I've ever heard of it! Thanks for the post and the suggestions. I'll definitely be experimenting because of you guys.

That sounds pretty boss /img/vbsmilies/smilies/cool.gif. I will definitely be bookmarking that! I do have a question, though. Do you rehydrate the chilis? Also, do you think red pepper flake would be a good substitute? I only ask because I have a boat load of red pepper flake haha.

We call gyros, doner kebabs here in the UK - and tzatsiki isn't used on them.

Interesting how when foods are moved from their native heath, other countries change how they are served

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Oh come now, you've been to Greece. Tzatziki is always used on gyros and souvlaki as a sauce. But it is also served on its own as a meze, most often as a spread. However, it is delectable when eaten with rice - that is quite common. Around my house we use it to dip lamb or meatballs in it too.

Oh come now, you've been to Greece. Tzatziki is always used on gyros and souvlaki as a sauce. But it is also served on its own as a meze, most often as a spread. However, it is delectable when eaten with rice - that is quite common. Around my house we use it to dip lamb or meatballs in it too.